Smash and serve
Ovelia turns up the sizzle with Greasers Burger
With so many great Greek restaurants around town, Ovelia is a neighborhood favorite and in a league of its own. It offers innovative, delicious Greek cuisine that’s not afraid to go off the beaten path and try something new and exciting. Notable favorites include the Lamb Tigania or the “Greek Poutine”, fried chicken bites with Greek donuts, and wontons filled with spicy feta and cream cheese. Having recently celebrated its 15-year anniversary this solid, modern Greek restaurant has its own unique collection of culinary surprises that continue to evolve with a team of foodies led by chef Peter Giannakas and his business partner and brother Chris Giannakas.
Their latest venture, Greasers Burgers, evolved from a pandemic-born idea into the ghost kitchen it is today. The brothers started off with handmade wontons from scratch and smashing angus on a grill for friends and family. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, especially pertaining to the burgers, which is why it became what it is today.
Like many restaurants, Ovelia, faced and is still facing challenges created by the pandemic, but that didn’t stop this brother duo from experimenting and expanding. Monday and Tuesday nights turned into an opportunity to try something different. What would be a good way to feed people fast and safely during a pandemic with limited hours and staff? The idea of simple take-out made perfect sense, and who doesn’t love a good burger?
They started their own line of smash burgers, and, if you’ve ever had a smash burger you’ll know why, when it comes to taste, this method of cooking burgers makes the most flavorful sense. Something happens in the breakdown of the chemicals when you smash it on a grill to give you a juicier, crustier, and well-rounded burst of flavor.
Their concept might seem a bit rebellious for a five-star Greek restaurant, but the Giannakas brothers are not afraid to put their cooking talent to the test. With their commitment to fine quality meats and their love of food, Greasers, a throwback to the fifties, was dreamed up with all the big attitude that comes with a passion for cooking. These heaping piles of mouth-watering beef are smashed, sizzled, and served with all the classic fixins’ and oozing with flavor in a special house-made Greasers sauce.
Make that a double burger if you want more smash for your burger bash. You can even opt for the Beyond Smash Burger if you are a plant-based eater. How about a fried, crispy buttermilk chicken thigh sandwich served up with pickles, cheese, and their signature sauce? Add bacon to any of it if you really want to go big. Still hungry? Try the fried buttermilk chicken poppers with Greasers dipping sauce and don’t worry, they didn’t forget the fries. You get a choice of seasoned shoestrings, or fries with cheese sauce and brown gravy. Make it two sides if you like onions rings. Floats and shakes are coming to the menu soon.
It’s classic. It’s modern. It’s fresh. Greasers’ line of smash burgers takes an all-American favorite to a place that will eventually include dining-in at a fast-casual eatery, but for now you can order from their menu through Grubhub and Seamless or visit greasersburger.com.
The Greasers menu is available for take-out only Wednesday through Sunday from 5pm-10pm.
